Amended draft toll law being sent to Parliament

KABUL (PAN): A draft law on introducing amendments to the toll law to reduce cash fines on inactive firms would soon be sent to the National Assembly for approval, Afghanistan's Chamber of Commerce and Industries (ACCI) officials said on Sunday.

The amendments in the article 102 of the law were suggested to the Cabinet two months back, said ACCI chief executive Mohammad Qurban Haqjo.

He said, if approved, the amendments would have a positive impact on private firms.

Previously each inactive company was required to pay 500 afghanis daily in toll tax, 180,000afs a, Haqjo said, adding under the amendments, an inactive company would pay 10,000afs in fine a year.

He said the changes into the toll law have jointly been suggested the ACCI, the Ministry of Finance, the Economic Committee of the Ministry of Commerce and Industries and Afghanistan Investment Support Agency (AISA).

The amendments aimed at identifying active companies and increasing the state revenue, would be sent to the Wolesi Jirga for approval, he said, adding as many as 15,000 private companies were inactive.

The companies to be exempted from the fines would be convinced into restarting their operations with the approval of the new law, he hoped.